SCOREBOARD

RECORD BREAKERJim Venner, Plainfield, N.J. water jockey, zipped his Too Much through driving rain over Pasquotank River course, averaged 63.2135 mph for two runs to break his own APBA world speed record for Class F runabouts in International Cup Regatta at Elizabeth City, N.C. (Sept. 29).

BASEBALL

New York Yankees and Milwaukee Braves wound up with biggest prizes as major league season ended, but there were plenty of honors for others. Boston's Ted Williams, at 39, became oldest player ever to win batting title when he led American League with .388 and, just a smidgen behind in years, St. Louis's Stan Musial, 36, was National League leader with .351; Washington's Roy Sievers (see page 10) and Milwaukee's Hank Aaron won double crowns, Sievers topping American League with 42 home runs, 114 RBI, while Aaron was boss in National League with 44 homers, 132 RBI; Baltimore, flushed with fifth-place finish, also set major league record by playing 80th errorless game. Managers Fred Hutchinson of St. Louis, Danny Murtaugh of Pittsburgh, Mayo Smith of Philadelphia were resigned for 1958, but Cleveland's Hank Greenberg, embarrassed by team's sixth-place standing, resorted to usual remedy. He fired Kerby Farrell, hired Bobby Bragan to lead Indians next year.

Denver, American Association champions, showed way for parent New York Yankees, taking four out of five from Buffalo's International League title-holders to win Little World Series. Bears belted out base hits in big league style to win first three games 16-5, 9-1, 13-9, slumped slightly to lose fourth 2-1, but came back with 8-1 triumph to end series.

Cleveland Browns and Chicago Cards, no great shakes in preseason exhibitions, saved their Sunday punches for NFL openers. Browns turned burly Lou Groza loose with 21 seconds to go for 47-yard field goal to beat New York Giants 6-3 in bruising defensive battle at Cleveland; Cards invaded San Francisco, used potent running attack to upset 49ers 20-10. Other opening day results: Green Bay Packers dedicated new stadium by overtaking Chicago Bears 21-17 on Babe Parilli's fourth-quarter pass to Gary Knafelc; Quarterback John Unitas rang bell with four scoring passes to help Baltimore Colts beat Detroit Lions 34-14 at Baltimore; "new look" Pittsburgh Steelers turned three touchdown passes by Quarterback Earl Morrall into 28-7 defeat of Washington at Pittsburgh; Los Angeles Rams had trouble with Philadelphia Eagles but came out on top 17-13 at Los Angeles.

BOATINGHawaii Kai III clinched national hydroplane title, bouncing over Ohio River at Madison, Ind. behind faultless piloting of Seattle's little Jack Regas to win all three heats with record 106.636 mph average and add Governor's Cup victory to earlier successes in President's Cup and Silver Cup. Other Seattle boats were not so fortunate. Miss Thriftway, after setting world speed record in preliminary (see below), hit rough water and disintegrated; Miss Wahoo lost propeller failed to finish final heat.

HOCKEYFrench-Canadians, who treat hockey as their secular religion, Montreal Forum as its temple and Les Canadiens as its priests, heaved genuine sighs of relief last week when they got news that controlling interest in hallowed Canadian Arena Company, including Canadiens' franchise and cavernous 14,600-seat Forum, has passed from aging (76) Senator Donat Raymond to elegantly mustachioed Senator Hartland DeMontarville Molson, 50-year-old head of distinguished English-speaking Montreal family and president of Molson's Brewery. Hailed Sports Columnist Gerard Gosselin of nationalist Le Devoir: "The news is joyful...our local sport has escaped a disaster which could have taken the form of foreign capital...even though the Molsons' name is English, they are purely bilingual in heart and spirit. Those who know the Molson family will tell you that it is quite accidental that they are not French-Canadians."

MACCABIAH GAMESMike Wolk, Colgate sophomore from New York City, pocketed assortment of medals at Tel Aviv, winning 400-meter freestyle and 200-meter butterfly, placing second in 1,500-meter freestyle, third in 100-meter freestyle; but Israel won swimming title with 114 points to 112½ for U.S. and South Africa. U.S. won basketball championship, outscoring Israel 79-62 in final game. Among other American winners: Rina Mendelson of East Meadow, L.I., women's diving; Byron Krieger of Detroit, men's sabre title.

TENNISKen Rosewall, sophomore member of barnstorming pro circus, found scrambling Pancho Segura (upset winner over World Champion Pancho Gonzales in semifinal) more than he bargained for in first set but steadied down to win 1-6, 6-3,6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in tournament at London's Wembley Stadium. Early casualty: Lew Hoad, who was eliminated by Bossman Jack Kramer in first round. Asked why he knocked out his major attraction, Kramer snorted: "The best player wins on the night; we just don't arrange these things."

HORSE RACING

Belmont made history with nation's first two $100,000-plus races in same day (see page 42). Mrs. Jan Burke's 5-year-old bay Dedicate, never a winner but always in purse money in nine previous Belmont starts, stayed with top-rated Gallant Man and second-choice Bold Ruler until Willie Hartack shot him through on rail to win $106,100 Woodward Stakes by 1½ lengths; George D. Widener's 2-year-old Jester, smooth-striding son of Tom Fool, showed he was worthy of his sire, pulling away from Misty Flight in stretch to finish first in $114,705 Futurity while highly touted but wearying Alhambra barely saved third place from Llangollen Farm's fast-closing Crasher.

Swoon's Son, gifted 4-year-old with eye on year's handicap honors, moved to front under Dave Erb, stretched his talented legs when challenged by Mahan to click off track record 1:48[4/5] for 1‚⅛ miles in $40,300 charles W. Bidwill Memorial Handicap at Hawthorne and boost his lifetime earnings to $742,330.

Yvon Durelle, wild-swinging Baie Ste. Anne, N.B. fisherman who wears his British Empire light-heavyweight crown lightly but has been mentioned as possible challenger for World Champion Archie Moore, laughed off German Heavyweight Willi Besmanoff's best left jabs, connected with enough roundhouse rights and lefts to take 10-round decision at Detroit (see below). Announced Durelle, who is more interested in catching mackerel than in boxing: "I'm going to fight Moore next, nobody but Moore." Predicted disgusted Besmanoff: "Archie would knock him out within five rounds."

Joey Giardello, carefully nursing his No. 5 middleweight ranking, fiddled with newcomer Bobby Lane for six listless rounds, finally took 1,220 restless customers (and Lane) out of their misery when he unloaded barrage of punches to win by TKO in seventh at Cleveland.